I gave a friend some kitchen towels and pot holders for a "just because" gift one fall. I was teaching in the Bush, and had the opportunity to go shopping in person.....lots of our shopping during the school year was via mail and phone orders shipped in, sight unseen.

Less than four months later, those same towels and pot holders were MY Christmas present from this woman. I was hurt, and didn't think there was any way it was a mistake. I thanked her, took the towels back, donated them to charity, and kept my future gifts to specific occasions, and things too useful to be regifted right back to me.

And even if Emily Post says it is ok, I do NOT regift.

That never happened to me and even though some gifts beg to be given away, I too will not regift. I think I have offered a friend a gift I received knowing they would like it, if I did not - but that is up front and honest and insured the gift in question was appreciated if not by me, then by someone else.

But my ex MIL has given me a broken, used gift on more than one occasion. It was not deliberate, the poor woman shops at yard sales! They are good for a laugh around the dinner table.

If you re-gift, mark on it who gave it to you so nobody in the same circle recognizes it.
I only re-gift to people who give me crappy gifts to start with, no effort in their shopping.
I feel they are giving a gift out of obligation, not will so I return to gesture.

Yes, just once from my dearest aunt...At first I was surprised but then had to laugh as she explained that she felt that if I liked the gift enough to give it to her that I would be really happy to receive it as a gift myself,lol...she was right...:o)

That sucks! In essence, you are buying yourself your own gift. I think the only time that happened to me was even worse. I was about 10, and I had made a pair of earrings at Girl Scout camp for my mom's friend, who was my favorite lady in the whole world. Six months later, they were in a bag of clothes and old jewelry she gave my mom for the church rummage sale. That really hurt.

Regifting is fine, but you have to make a note about who you got it from and keep it with the gift(s).

I once gave a gift to my sister, who gave it to her daughter and for a little while I was hurt. Then my niece was raving about the totally wonderful earrings I'd given her mother and how much she had admired them and how her mother had graciously let her have them. No more hurt. Even if my sister hated them (I never asked) I realized that my niece loved them and they were with the rightful owner.

Bottom line is that we can't all use what we are given. I recently gave a pashmina shawl to a friend and told her, that while I believed it was "her color" that she collected, if she could not use it in her wardrobe to regift it. I have never seen her wear it so I'm assuming it went to another friend (or will go to another friend) and I'm okay with that. I often get things that I assume have stopped with me on their way to their ultimate destination. :^)

I don't regift "crappy" things, since if they are really crappy they are of no use to anyone. However, I have been given a nice bottle of wine when I don't drink - I regifted that. I have been given gifts that I felt were on their way through to the rightful owner and passed them along. I always thank the person doing the gifting. It is, after all, the thought.

Growing up as a child our gifts were generally needs based. I was often given mandarin oranges during the middle of the winter (hard to get in Idaho in the 50's) and gave them to my mother (who was probably the person who put them in my stocking) because she LOVED them and treasured each bite. Was that regifting? I dunno.

I guess I come from a different perspective entirely.

Yes this is so familuir. I would just accept it with love... infact, I wanted to get one myself, and did not have the chance. So God was good, and there you are. it came back.

I belong to club and our gift exchange has to be something you got and want to pass on. It is always fun to see what other folks pass on. After everyone opens there gifts then we start with number one and she can pick any gift and they get hers. One year everyone wanted the same gift and they were really having a lot of laughs as it kept getting chosen and the final lady got to keep it.